


Favour.

by WhenAMuseStrikes



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, F/M, Gift Exchange, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 21:30:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13175595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenAMuseStrikes/pseuds/WhenAMuseStrikes
Summary: Will is just hanging out at the beach when a mysterious being captures his attention - an unconscious merman. Merfolk are hunted because of their scales, among other things, but Will doesn't want to turn him in. He wants to help. So he calls in a favour . . .





	Favour.

“I've done you a lot of favours, Solace, but this is still inarguably  _ the _ most weirdest one. Not to mention, dangerous. I can't believe you made me lug him all the way over here.” Percy complained. One hand was being used to peel away the wet, sticky material of his shirt away from his body. The other clutched the bucket.

  “Okay, really, what did you want me to do, leave him there? That wasn't happening. And you make it sound like we carried him from the beach.” Will looked over to the unconscious creature. If they had carried him from there it would've been a nightmare. “Whoever did that was likely to turn him in.”

  “Yeah, I got that, but what happens if someone comes knocking on our door? What then?” Percy pursed his lips, casting a worried glance to the creature, too.

  “Then that leaves you to blame me, I guess?” Will offered.

  Percy stared at him. “Oh. Fantastic. Blaming you will just get us out of this mess, right?”

  Will knew that even though his friend was complaining, if he'd been in Will’s shoes he’d have undoubtedly done the same thing. After all, he had a soft spot for any type of creature, which was why Percy didn't need much convincing to help out. 

  “Hey, you wanna know the upside to this?” Will asked.

  Percy arched a brow. “I don't think there is an upside to this, but I'll bite.”

  “This officially makes you the world's best roommate.” Will grinned.

  Percy lifted the hand holding the bucket, which rattled from the movement. “For one, bite me. And two, you best believe that if something happens, I am blaming you.”

  Will just kept grinning. “Oh, and by the way, I told you we’d go back to our natural roles.”

  
  


**_A Couple Hours Earlier._ **

  
  


Vibrant, bold golds, magentas, and oranges lit up the horizon, shining through wispy sheets of clouds and rippling over the gentle waves rolling in one after another. Dancing and slanting across the pier, reflecting off the brightly coloured fish below the clear water. The occasional slope of a turtle’s back caught Will’s attention from the corners of his eye, a flash of white from a bird and the squawks from above. There weren't any people around right now considering temperatures were dropping as of late and being near the waterfront made things worse.

  Because of Will’s heavy workload, seeing something like this was a rare thing indeed. Don't get him wrong, though, he fairly enjoyed working in the clinic or occasionally helping his father in surgery, but sometimes it just didn't compare. Giving advice or lending a helping hand was something that he learned to do, it was something he was taught from a young age since he was being groomed to one day take over his fathers place. But  _ this _ he didn't have a hand in doing - no one rushed him for something, no one told him to take a brush and paint the entire sky or sea with even strokes and subtle gestures. It was watching a work of art settling low before him; watching an artist craft their piece one, two, three shades differing. Melding together for a perfect fit to the end of a day.

  It wasn't easy to watch nature do her work with a strict schedule: Wake up, eat, dress, work, come home, eat some more, shower, and then bed. Hardly any rest and a small amount of peace on busier days. On days when it became too much, Will found himself in places like this. Usually it was his roommate dragging him all over for a bit of fun and a breather whether it was to the beach, or the library, or an arcade, or café, or even forcing him to engage in movie nights with popcorn, friends and laughter. Reminding him it was okay to laugh until he cried, especially if he lost someone, however rare that was. It was okay to mourn their loss just as it was okay to remember they were still alive and here, carrying on.

  But today . . . Today Percy wasn't dragging him anywhere. Will had come here all on his own for once. For tranquility. With the waves crashing against the shore. Flapping wings and cries of birds all around him. A steady breeze tinted with salt lifting his hair and caressing his face. Even the barest traces of fish towards the end wasn't enough to make it unpleasant.

  Barely ten minutes passed when something caught his eye again. Not a bird, but something else. Lifting a hand to act as a sunblock against the waning rays, Will squinted to peer into the distance. Something was skimming across the waterline, bobbing up and down and making little splashes. Shimmers of blue and green. Something that looked like fog hovering there. It kept trying to get further into shallower waters.

  Standing up from his spot, Will started to head down the pier so he could go check it out, eyes carefully scanning the area around him. The sand was lukewarm beneath his feet and there was a stronger breeze coming in now, making him shiver and pull his coat tighter against his body.

  Whatever was moving around was doing so in front of a section of large, jagged rocks. Will was about to put his shoes down and then dismissed the notion when he took another glance at the rocks. They were entirely too jutting for him to trust that he wouldn't scrape himself on a side or step on something below, so taking a moment to balance his side against the rocks, he dusted off his feet and put his socks and shoes back on. Grunting, he hauled himself up onto the rocks to overlook the sea and was startled at the animal that was partially seen.

  It was a horse - well, a horse's head - frantically zipping one way for five feet only to turn around and repeat the action in the opposite direction. Will had never thought an animal could  _ pace _ in close quarters like that; animals paced along lengths of an entire room to show their distress to anyone who was around. But this - this wasn't an animal who wanted anyone's attention from where Will stood. It was making a fuss over someone who must be around somewhere in its line of sight.

  It was tossing its great head from left to right, shaking out it's misty mane, blue-green skin glistening with water droplets. Every so often that head would go beneath the water, get itself wet, before reemerging and blustering. Fins quivering at the sides of it's jaw.

  And then it saw Will perched atop a rock. Turning around with a whinny, it dove into the water, the fins on it's tail and back barely breaking the surface. Whatever that was shouldn't have been so close to humans, whether it could tolerate them or not.

  He'd been about to shimmy his way back down when he spotted a patch of blood staining the sand. Some of it was being washed away with the tide. Going down was a bit easier than coming up had been. Around the edge of one rock there was more blood - some of it smeared against rocks and on sand. A deep groove cut into the sand, leading into a crevice. 

  “Holy shit.” Will said.

  Laying on its side was a merman. Skin milky white with tinges of pink on his cheeks and the gills that jutted out just slightly from his neck and ribs. Inky black hair about shoulder length plastered to his forehead. Four inch claws, curving and deadly, tipped his fingers. A dorsal fin spread from the nape of the neck down to the tip of his tail; spiny fins made up his ears; one side fin that was exposed to the wind fluttered, as well as part of his fluke. His forearms, hands, and the entirety of his graceful tail were made up of obsidian scales, glinting with cobalt and sangria undertones. He was in awe. Will found himself wanting to touch his scales and unique fins - the latter of which were opalescent. 

  What stopped him was the condition this poor creature was in. Lacerations and bruises littered his upper body along with what looked like a nasty sunburn on his left side; gills pinker and inflamed looking. Some of his scales had been shattered or removed, leaving nasty patches of skin visible underneath. The right side of him was submerged in a shallow puddle of water.

  Looking back, Will judged the distance from the shoreline to the crevice and his jaw clenched, one hand curling into a fist while the other rummaged in his pocket for his phone.

  “Hello?” Percy’s voice sounded on the end of the line.

  “Where are you?” Will asked through gritted teeth.

  “On my way home. You good, man?” Percy asked.

  Will looked down at the merman and blurted, “I need a favour.”

  “Name it.” Percy said with no hesitation.

  “Meet me at the beach. You know that cluster of rocks almost no one goes near?”

  Percy snickered. “You mean the ones I cut my head open on when I was fourteen?”

  “Yeah. That's why I said  _ almost _ because you decided it'd be fun to climb.” Will rolled his eyes.

  “I went in because Frank - You know what, I'm not getting into this again. I'll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Thanks.” Will gnawed on his lip. “Can you bring a bucket?”

  “A  _ what? _ ” 

  “A bucket. And a spray bottle.” Will nodded decisively to no one.

  “That'll take me longer.” Percy said.

  “Do your best to hurry.” Will said and then added, “Without wiping out.”

  Percy gave a drawn out sigh, said, “Meet you there,” and then hung up.

  “Don't worry,” Will told the unconscious merman. “We’ll help get you back into shape.”

  While waiting for Percy, Will cupped some water in his hands to carefully drip it over the aggravated gills; they looked to be on the verge of closing up. Will did it a few times and hoped it was sufficient enough to last. Instead of climbing back out, he found a way around the rocks and then made a beeline to his car that was a lot farther away than he realized. It needed to be as close as he could get it. After folding down a row of seats in the back, he headed back to the merman. He opened his trunk before climbing down again.

  Sliding his arms under the creature, Will tried to haul him up carefully, only to grunt and wobble from the strain. “Son of a -” Will sucked in a deep breath and tried lifting again, using his legs and not his back this time. “This isn't working.” He grumbled, setting him down before they both tumbled. He slid halfway down a rock, blowing the hair from his face.

  Looks like he would need Percy for more than a bucket and spray bottle. 

  He'd been on his second trip back with more water cupped between his hands - it proved to be helpful - when he heard tires on sand, which sprayed in a few different directions when Percy came to an abrupt halt. Dispensing the water where it needed to be, Will raised a hand to grab Percy’s attention.

  Percy leaned around a corner to look down at him. “I'd ask if you fell, but that doesn't match up with what I see now or the requested items.”

  “No, but I do need you to come down here. If you go around that side -” Will pointed to Percy’s left. “- then you won't need to climb down as many rocks.”

  Percy set Will’s requested bucket on the ground and then dismounted his bike, letting it thump in the sand. He wasn't entirely graceful as he made his way down, sliding once and just barely catching himself. “I’m okay!”

  “And that's why your mother wouldn't let you come to the beach for a year. You flail around like a newborn deer.”

  “What are you talking about, I'm as graceful as a c -” his words cut off abruptly when he spotted the merman, blinking owlishly.

  Clearing his throat, Will said, “So, I need your help.”

  Percy looked over at him. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Are you nuts?” Percy hissed, waving a hand around.

  “He's an injured merman.” Will said defensively.

  “He’s not just  _ any _ merman. Look at his colouring, he's a Dweller of all things! You know as well as I do how much people would be willing to pay to get their hands on one.”

  “I know!” Will said. “But I can't leave him here or stick him back in the ocean severely injured like this. He’ll be made prey of.” Will grabbed Percy’s arm and squeezed it tightly.

  Percy ran his free hand through his hair, jaw clenched as he took inventory of the creature’s wounds. Will could see his resolve cracking now that he was  _ really _ looking. He glanced from him to the water, then the crevice, eyes narrowing. “No handprints. Someone dragged him up here? And there's not enough water up there for him to breathe adequately.”

  “He didn't wash up on this beach like some whale or something. Whoever left him here and put the water -”

  “They want him alive, but just barely.” Percy’s resolve disappeared, full on concern replacing it. “What do we do?”

  “Bring him home.”

  Percy arched a brow. “Where do you think we're going to put him? He's too big for our bathtub.” When Will didn't answer, Percy said, “You're kidding me. You want to put him in our bathtub.”

  “You got a better idea? Can't really take him to the local YMCA. Besides, I don't know his temperament. What if he's aggressive?”

  “And how do you think he's going to react to waking up in a strange place in a tub?” Percy gave Will a shove towards the merman’s top half.

  “Cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, shut up and lift.” Will said, taking his position.

  “You shut up and lift.” Percy gave another sigh and crouched down. “You’re not eating the dinner that I brought home from the restaurant. I'm eating your portion.”

  “Stop complaining.” Will told him. Percy made a face at him. “On three. One . . . Two . . . Three!” They hauled up their respective parts.

  Percy groaned. “Oh, my gods. What does he eat?!” He shifted his touch on the scaled creature, trying for a better grip.

  Well, at least they were both having an issue keeping him aloft. Percy’s arms were visibly shaking the longer he held on and Will was pretty sure his own arms were going to fall off any moment.

  “All right,” Will’s voice was strained. “I put the seats down in my car, so we can put him in the trunk. Now swing and walk.”

  “I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.” Percy chanted.

  When they got up to the car, they had to set down the merman. Both of them looked from the height of the trunk down to the incredibly heavy creature they'd need to tote up into it. Percy looked at him for an answer.

  “Okay, uh . . . Get on your knees. I'm going to lift him up so his back is against yours and then you're gonna lift him up into the trunk. I'll grab his tail and ease it in while you move forward.”

  “You want me to crawl into the trunk with an unconscious being on my back? How about I just grow two extra arms for you while I'm at it?”

  “You're stronger than I am. I might drop him.”

  “I hate you.” Percy got on his knees. 

  “No, you don't. Seriously, stop your complaining.”

  “No. Much like the merman, I am salty.”

  “How would you know he is?”

  “He just looks the type. Now hurry up before someone sees us.”

  “Fine, fine.”

  It took a couple different attempts at maneuvering the merman, and more of Percy’s griping - “What if I hurt him? It's my face that's going to get clawed off.” - they finally got him in. Percy managed to crawl one-armed into the back, the other around the creature’s waist where there weren't as many wounds, and then he slowly lowered himself onto his stomach and Will helped slide the merman off his back. Will, unfortunately, found out before that that the tail was even heavier than he previously assumed, leaving him acquiring an even higher amount of respect for his friend for being able to haul it the distance he did. Will went back to fill up both the bucket - after handing Percy the bag from the restaurant - and spray bottle.

  “Here,” Will handed Percy the spray bottle. “I figure since it's seawater it’ll be a benefit. Spritz his gills and stuff every so often.”

  “And stuff? Like his face or what?”

  “Face and scales should suffice for now.”

  “Roger that.” Percy adjusted the nozzle to mist and got to work spritzing not only the gills, face, and tail, but some of his injuries.

  Will got in the front seat after closing the trunk and securing his friend’s bike on the rack in back of his car. He was almost off the beach when Percy cleared his throat. “Yes, Percy?” He asked patiently.

  “I had an idea.”

  “Pertaining to?”

  “The Dweller.” Percy popped his head up to be visible from behind the second row of seats.

  “Okaaaay?” Will drew out the word.

  “Well, Reyna has a pool, right? And a privacy fence.”

  “You're kidding me. We can't call her up and ask if we can stash someone in her pool. Her parents would be livid.”

  “You need to get out more. Reyna’s parents won't be around for two and a half weeks or something. They're on vacation.”

  “That doesn't guarantee she’ll do it.” Will said.

  “We can't show up at her door right now anyway; she's working late tonight. We’ll take him home for tonight and ask her tomorrow.” Percy gave him a lopsided grin. “I'll call in a favour of my own. She owes me for taking the fall on a baseball going through her neighbour’s window and shattering a tv and an expensive vase.”

  “Let's see: housing an injured creature versus taking the fall for a window break.” Will used his hands to judge the two while at a light, acting as an off-balance scale. “Taking the fall for a window isn't as bad.”

  “Window, tv, and vase,” Percy corrected. “I almost got arrested when I smiled trying to explain.”

  “I've seen your nervous I’m-not-sure-what-happened-officer smile. You're lucky you  _ weren't  _ arrested.”

  Percy frowned at him and lifted the spray bottle threateningly. “I'm never doing you a favour again.”

  Will rolled his eyes and kept driving. He understood Percy’s initial reluctance to help him; it was dangerous to house merfolk of any sort without turning it over; something you can be punished for. A hefty fine and jail time. Merfolk are highly valued creatures because of their scales and fins and horns - which not all of them had evidently. Some of them sang and it was addicting to hear; sailors losing their way because they needed to find the source, only to be dragged to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. Of course most of what they knew had been told in tales. Even older tales spoke of pirates keeping merfolk to lure their enemies in to be dispatched easily.

  Dwellers were even rarer to come across. They lived closer to the bottom of the ocean, and their skin was always pale. Their scales darker than those closer to the surface. That was all anyone knew about them. No one knew if they traveled in pods of extended family, or just a select few, or how mates were chosen. Humankind had been aware of merfolk’s existence - when they'd previously been only heard of in tales - for decades without trying to get to know them.

  However, Will was certain of one thing: This was one merman they wouldn't get.

  Soon enough, Will pulled into their driveway. A nice little townhome apartment on the left. Thank the gods it wasn't a cluster of them.

  “I can't tell you how happy I am we couldn't move into the buildings across the street. I'd die before hauling him up a flight of stairs.” Percy shuffled around in the back, shoving open the door carefully when Will put the car in park and the garage door shut.

  “You and me both, Percy.” Will got out and went around to the back, removing Percy’s bike and setting it against the nearest wall.

  “You want to run the bath before getting him in it?” Percy asked, spritzing the merman again.

  “Ah, yeah. We can just ask the neighbours to borrow their shower. Tell them there's something wrong with ours.” Will took the bucket of seawater. “I'll be right back.”

  Percy’s only response was to grunt at him.

  The second Will got inside their apartment he was ambushed by Percy’s dog, Mrs. O’Leary. The pitch black mastiff boofed at him, shoving her nose into his stomach and snuffling at him before turning her attention to the bucket, tags jingling against her navy blue collar. She was a two-year-old friendly giant. Percy liked to joke that if someone ever broke in, they'd be terrified for just a few seconds until they learned she was all bark and no bite. Or if someone happened to have food she liked (he liked to spoil her every so often with table scraps and still she never begged for food). But Will knew he never had to worry about Percy walking in a bad neighbourhood with that dog. He did, however, have to worry about his friend being smothered in his sleep because she preferred to lay in his bed, even though she took up way too much room.

  “Hi, Mrs. O’Leary,” Will scratched at her head. “I'll get you a treat in a few minutes.” She boofed at him again and then loped off somewhere into the living room, blending in with the rug and looking like a giant puddle of puppy. Will went about finishing his task.

  Ten minutes later the tub was full of tepid water (the seawater mixed in) and Mrs. O’Leary did in fact get a treat. Well, more like a small handful of them. Leaving both bathroom and garage door slightly ajar, he went back out to meet with Percy, who was out of the car already.

  “You ready?” Will asked.

  “No, but let's do this.” Percy said. “You grabbing his tail and easing him out while I grab his upper half?”

  “Let’s reverse those positions and we’re good to go.” Will said.

  Percy shook out his arms. “All right. Here we go. On three?” 

  “On three.” Will agreed, taking his position. Percy cradled the tail. “One, two, three.” Percy lifted up and pulled back carefully. Will took half-steps forward, hunched over in the back.

  “I’ll move my grip up a little so you can get down without falling over,” Percy said.

  Will grunted. His friend slid one arm up, towards the merman’s waist, leaning to one side to accommodate for the weight at the opposite side. Will planted heavy feet on concrete, the shock jolting through his knees, groaning as gravity worked against him. Nodding to Percy to signal he was good, he readjusted his grip on the tail.

  “Now forward.” Will said.

  Percy used his heel to shove the door open, cringing when it whacked into the wall with a loud bang. “Oops. I'll check that - Mrs. O’Leary!” Percy wheezed when said dog barrelled into his legs and he stumbled into the doorframe, her entire body wagging and tail moving so fast it was a blur. “Hey there, girl. Yes, I missed you, too.” She lapped at his arms and the hem of his shirt, jumping up to try huffing at his face. “No, down, girl. You know better.” Percy said sternly.

  Will didn't know a dog could look so contrite. She deflated just for a second, whining pitifully as if asking for forgiveness. “Why is it she greets you like you have the world’s biggest bacon treat, but she greets me like I sat on you and gave you a noogie?”

  “Mrs. O’Leary, no.” Percy said again, just as stern as before when she went to sniff and lick at the strange thing her owner was clutching, hands much too occupied to love her. “I will greet you properly in a few minutes, but right now I need you to go lay down, okay?” She huffed in displeasure, licked Percy’s hand, and then trotted off, tail still going. “It could be because you tripped over her when she was a puppy.”

  “Once. I did that once! And it isn't my fault she blends in so well with the carpet.”

  “Yeah, and since then you've scanned the carpet every time you enter the room.” 

  “Tripping over her now would warrant in me losing toes. Or an entire foot. I'll pass.”

  “Now who’s complaining?” Percy asked as they resumed walking. 

  “Give it time and we’ll be in our natural roles again.”

  “I'd flip you off, but my hands are full, so I'll do this.” Percy jabbed his foot against Will’s calf. His friend precariously wobbled on one leg in doing so.

  “ _ Ow!  _ Don’t do that! We’ll wind up dropping him!”

  “You asked for it.”

  Will sighed.

  Five minutes later they were in the bathroom, merman submerged in the bathtub, and Percy looked rightfully annoyed all over again. He’d lost his grip lowering the creature in and had succeeded dunking most of his upper half in.

  “I've done you a lot of favours, Solace, but this is still inarguably  _ the _ most weirdest one. Not to mention, dangerous. I can't believe you made me lug him all the way over here.” Percy complained. One hand was being used to peel away the wet, sticky material of his shirt away from his body. The other clutched the bucket. 

  “Okay, really, what did you want me to do, leave him there? That wasn't happening. And you make it sound like we carried him from the beach.” Will looked over to the unconscious creature. If they had carried him from there it would've been a nightmare. “Whoever did that was likely to turn him in.”

  “Yeah, I got that, but what happens if someone comes knocking on our door? What then?” Percy pursed his lips, casting a worried glance to the creature, too.

  “Then that leaves you to blame me, I guess?” Will offered.

  Percy stared at him. “Oh. Fantastic. Blaming you will just get us out of this mess, right?”

  Will knew that even though his friend was complaining, if he'd been in Will’s shoes he’d have undoubtedly done the same thing. After all, he had a soft spot for any type of creature, which was why Percy didn't need much convincing to help out. 

  “Hey, you wanna know the upside to this?” Will asked.

  Percy arched a brow. “I don't think there is an upside to this, but I'll bite.”

  “This officially makes you the world's best roommate.” Will grinned.

  Percy lifted the hand holding the bucket, which rattled from the movement. “For one, bite me. And two, you best believe that if something happens, I am blaming you.”

  Will just kept grinning. “Oh, and by the way, I told you we’d go back to our natural roles.”

  “I'm leaving. I'm packing and leaving. Find another roommate.” Percy said.

  “You've threatened me with that eight times and you're still here.” Will reminded him.

  “But I'm really leaving this time.”

  “You won't. You adore me too much for that.”

  Percy grumbled, “You're right.”

  “Quick question, though. How do we help heal his wounds? I'm not sure how well the seawater will help.” Will said.

  Percy’s mouth opened, closed, and then repeated the action a few more times. “What are you asking me for?”

  “Uh, because you're studying to become a marine biologist?”

  “I haven't even finished a semester yet! Besides, I don't think the class is going to have something labelled for that. Imagine the label _ : How To Heal Kidnapped Sea Creatures 101 _ .”

  “You're no help.”

  “Honestly, the answer is real simple.” Percy waited a few beats before dramatically whispering, “You'll have to ask what you kidnapped.”

  “He's unconscious, you dweeb. And you helped me kidnap him.”

  “When we wakes up.” Percy walked behind him. “And I deny ever having anything to do with this.”

  Will opened his mouth to retort when his vision suddenly went grey.

  Percy had placed the bucket over his head.

  “My classes don't have anything useful on how to help half-fish, half-human creatures. Ask him.”

_ Because what's the point when it's a hunted species, right?  _ The words were on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be bitterly spilled. It wouldn't be fair to throw that Percy’s way. It's not as though Percy was the reason why they were hunted.

  What he said instead was, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go love your dog before she comes to find you again.”

  “After I change. In case you weren't paying attention, I'm wearing half of your creature’s habitat.”

  Pulling the bucket off his head, Will called to his retreating back. “Only because you're clumsy.”

  “Bite me!” He called back jovially, a laugh edging his tone. It didn't last long when he gave one last look to the being in their tub.

  There was no hiding the rage darkening Percy’s eyes, now that everything was said and done.

  “I don't actually mind him being here.” Percy whispered, meeting Will’s eyes. 

  “I know you don't mind it.” Will smiled gently.

  “I just needed you to hear it.” Percy said. “Here, he's safe from anyone who wants to see themselves decorated with his scales or fins. They don't . . . They don't deserve to be hunted. They deserve to live however they want.” Percy’s expression twisted into repulsion at that, then continuing, “To be free. It isn't fair that we humans, as a whole, think we have a right to take what was never ours.”

  “You're right. At first he's not going to trust us. He might not even believe that we want to help.”

  “It’s going to take time. But his well-being is what comes first. To make sure he’s healed and can properly fight back in the ocean or if he's captured again.” Percy cleared his throat. “On a happier note, you want me to heat up your food?”

  Will smiled again. “Nah, I'll get it. Thanks, though. Be there shortly.”

  Percy waved, drifting off towards the kitchen.

  Will gingerly brushed the merman’s hair back from his face. “I'll be back later to explain everything. And then to tend to your wounds if you'll let me.”

  Slowly backing out of the bathroom to head to the kitchen, he shut the door behind him just in case Mrs. O’Leary got too curious and decided to lick him until he roused. The last thing they needed was a vet visit and trying to explain how a mastiff got their muzzle shredded.

  Unfortunately it was now six hours later and Will was laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, playing those couple hours on a loop. He'd been asleep for maybe three hours before he'd woken up, and now he couldn't remember exactly what it was that had woken him. So, for three hours, Will had been tossing and turning every half hour. Being on his back wasn't comfortable, nor his sides, or stomach. Not even draping a leg over the edge of the bed worked.

  Rolling over for about the seventh time or so, Will bolted upright when a shriek echoed throughout the apartment. Throwing off his covers and pulling on a pair of sleep pants, Will was about to open his door when it flew open, forcing him back a step to avoid being whacked.

  Percy stood in the doorway, wild-eyed and hair standing up in many more spots than usual.

_ Gods, you have an awful cowlick when you wake up.  _ He was going to say it, but Percy opened his mouth first.

  “I got up. Because I needed to use the toilet, right?” Percy spoke in short, ragged bursts. “Serves me right for drinking all that water. Go into the bathroom and there were eyes staring at me! And I heard growling. Couldn't be Mrs. O’Leary. She wouldn't growl at me and -” Will put a hand over his friend’s mouth to get him to stop rambling.

  “You saw eyes?” Will asked. Percy nodded. “From the tub?” Another nod.

  Percy slapped away Will’s hand. “Tell him to stop staring at me so I can pee!”

  “Did  _ you  _ try that approach?”

  “Uh, no, because I saw glinting from the corner of my eye and mind you, I was still half-asleep, so it didn't occur to me until now that we have a sea-dwelling creature in our tub. Anyway, I looked over and he started growling and snarling at me.”

  “And?” Will prompted when Percy stopped talking.

  “I bolted. Why else would I be standing here?” Percy glared. “Seriously, I need to empty my bladder.”

  Will rolled his eyes, brushing past Percy and heading to the bathroom. “Serves you right for drinking so much water.” 

  “I was thirsty.” Percy hissed from behind him.

  Will’s eyes were immediately drawn to the tub when he pushed open the door, and he saw a pair of glinting eyes before they ducked beneath the tub’s rim. Percy flicked on the light as Will approached. The tail flickered from one side to the other in stiff movements. The merman was growling low in his throat. Deep brown eyes glared menacingly from the water’s line up at him, before they softened just slightly. They reminded him of a gem. What one? What one? Will squinted, head tilted as he tried to remember. It was there, tickling the edges of his memory, on the tip of - Scapolite! Brown scapolite. It had had Hazel in a tizzy from being rare. She ranted and raved for a few solid hours at their apartment about that one and about a dozen others.

  “Looking constipated really isn't helping your case.” Percy said. Will realized his expression might come off as creepy.

  “Neither is hiding in the doorway,” Will said.

  Percy made a face at him. “I'm not hiding. I'm observing. From a safe distance.”

  “Sure, sure.” He said offhandedly. Slowly lowering himself to a crouch, Will lifted his hands to keep them in view of the merman. “My name's Will. That weenie in the doorway is Percy. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  The creature merely stared at him. Long enough that Percy shifted in the doorway. “Maybe he doesn't understand after all. Does this mean I have to go get pots and pans for a makeshift suit of armour?”

  Percy had just taken a step back when he saw a slow nod from his peripheral vision, and those wonderfully rich eyes rose an inch above the water.

  Will’s brows pinched together when a scaled, clawed hand reached towards him, fingers limp. The merman righted it, palm out, like he wanted Will to mimic. Lifting a hand, he slowly brought it over. Those eyes were curious, pleading to humour him. He no longer looked menacing or angry.

  “That's not a good idea.” Percy warned.

  Will ignored him. For a split second. Faster than he would've thought possible for an injured creature a clawed hand seized his wrist in an ironclad grip, yanking back. Will tumbled forward and slammed into the side of the tub, suppressing a cry of pain. Percy made a sound of alarm and then Will felt arms around his waist. He was being lifted and pulled away at the same time.

  Percy yelped, one arm jerking out of reach of claws that now dripped crimson. “I told you it wasn't a good idea!” Percy yelled.

  “I know!” Will cried. He tried to pull away, but he'd greatly underestimated the difference in strength. He lost his balance due to the mix of water and blood on the floor, the former of which was more of. Shoving at the hand bruising his wrist didn't do any good, either. In fact, it made things worse. Both of his arms were grabbed and he was hauled into the tub, water sloshing over in gentle waves.

  “Heel!” Percy commanded. Mrs. O’Leary stopped where she was inches from the tub, head lowered and paws spread out to make herself look bulkier. Hackles raised and teeth flashing as she snapped her jaws threateningly, making throaty noises. Her eyes held malice.

_ There it is,  _ Will thought abstractedly. Mrs. O’Leary may be a sweet, kind-hearted, and playful dog seen as a friendly giant, but the second they (mostly Percy) was even the slightest bit threatened her entire demeanor changed.

  A scaled arm went around his ribs, trapping his arms against his sides. Talons pressed into the left side of his throat, hooking and steady. And he already started to shiver; the water was as cold as hundreds of melted ice cubes. Mrs. O’Leary’s snarling matched the creature’s in intensity. Despite the situation he was currently in, he felt terrible. Percy removed his shirt halfway and had it wound around his bicep, blood blossoming on the fabric.

  But he didn't seem to care about that. Percy looked more concerned over Will’s shivering. He said, “We don't want to hurt you. That’s not our intention, I promise.”

  “I-it’s true,” Will’s voice trembled. “We-we have no in-intention of turning you in. Just want to-to help you.” The arm around him slackened, and Will could breathe a little easier. “Percy does-doesn’t want to tu-turn you in, either. I found you on-on the beach.”

  “Exactly.” Percy spoke through gritted teeth. “Will found you in a shallow pool of water amidst a bunch of rocks that someone stashed you in. I helped move you in here so we could keep an eye on you. Return you to the ocean when you were well again.”

  Will nodded in agreement. His fingertips and toes started to turn numb. “All true,” he whispered.

  “Look,” Percy’s tone turned clipped. “I know you're hurt, and probably freaking out, and I'm sorry that we kidnapped you, but you  _ need _ to let my friend go. I'm going to come over to you so I can pull him out and get him warm again. After that, if you'll let us, we’ll tend to you.”

  “You-you too.” Will lifted a shaky hand to gesture.

  “Don't worry about me.” Percy gave a sigh of relief when Will was lifted up a little. “Mrs. O’Leary, hold.” Mrs. O’Leary put her paws up on the tub and leaned forward, mouth opening until she had a firm hold on the creature’s neck; he looked at Percy with wide eyes, breathing as ragged as Will’s. “It's only a precaution, keeping you less inclined to do anything unsavory.” 

  Percy pulled Will out bridal-style and set him on the ground in his lap. He grabbed the couple towels hanging up, wrapping them both around Will. Will was vaguely aware of the scratching of the towels on his arms as Percy rubbed them up and down vigorously.

  “This isn't working. We need to get you into something warm. Some hot chocolate or something, too.” Percy picked him back up, whistling for Mrs. O’Leary. She snarled, gave a warning nip, and loped after her companion.

  Three minutes later and Will was on his floor, Percy riffling through his things. 

  “I can change myself.” Will protested, teeth chattering. The towels were helping a little, but not fast enough.

  “Your arms and legs aren't quite so cooperative now are they?” Percy asked. He came over with a full set of pajamas. “Unfortunate and fortunate you're not wearing a shirt. Why did you think it was a good idea to go near him, Will? Gods, you're lucky he didn't tear into you. Just . . . Let me get you into something warmer, okay?”

  “Fine. But you'll have to let me look at that arm.”

  “Deal.” Percy agreed.

  It didn't take long for Percy to peel away the wet fabric from his lower half, averting his eyes to let Will have some semblance of privacy, and then dressing him. He'd dug out pajamas that Will only wore on the coldest nights in order to stay warm. Mrs. O’Leary hopped up onto Will’s bed and leaned into his side, snuffling at his face and whining.

  “I'm okay, girl.” Will lifted a hand and set it on her back, letting it lay there limply.

  “Good girl.” Percy scratched her head and ruffled her ears. “You two stay here. I'll be back.”

  “Wait! Your arm!” Will went to stand - or try - when Mrs. O’Leary fell over on him. “Oof! At least get me my kit!” Will groaned. “Why is your master so stubborn?” He asked the dog. She wagged her tail at him.

  Will let his fingertips dance across his neck, feeling the ghost of talons there. He couldn't believe he'd been tricked and came very close to missing his throat or having it shredded. Will wondered if the merman had really believed them. It seemed that way, but then again . . . Could he really be the judge of that? Looks like having Percy and Mrs. O’Leary around was actually pretty beneficial, although he was sure that his roommate wasn't going to let him get so close this time. Not unless the merman promised to not try anything.

  “Hot chocolate. Extra marshmallows. Little bit of cinnamon. And yes, before you bitch at me, I got your kit, but you're drinking this first.” Percy said.

  “I'm mostly warm now thanks to these,” Will lifted up a fuzzy leg to show dozens of Grinch faces, toes wiggling from inside his equally fuzzy socks. “And your dog is warm, albeit heavy.”

  “She knows what's what. Even so, drink up.” Percy shoved the cup at him, purposefully keeping his kit out of arm’s length. “I said you could look at my arm, but I didn't say when.” 

  “You're bleeding pretty heavily. It needs to be cleaned before you get an infection.” Will took the cup, sipping at it, warmth sweeping through him. Percy wouldn't hand over his things, or call off Mrs. O’Leary, until he was satisfied.

  “A few more minutes won't kill me. This is nothing. Remember the time I broke my leg skateboarding?” Percy asked.

  “You tried to skate down a flight of stairs and lost your balance. No wonder you broke something.” Will said flatly.

  “I was trying something new. I thought I could do it. Point is, that was more painful. Battered up my ribs and arm pretty good.”

  “Klutz.” Will held out the empty cup. “Done. Now get over here so I can look at you.”

  Percy arched a brow. “Are you completely warm?”

  “Almost. But I have full function of my limbs now.”

  Percy set the cup down at his feet as he took a spot next to Will, handing over the kit. “Have at it.”

  Will squirted hand sanitizer into his palm, rubbed it in, and then snapped on a pair of gloves. Peeling away Percy’s makeshift bandage, he was pleased to note that the bleeding had mostly stopped. A couple drops here and there, but he must have tied it off tight enough to stanch it. During the whole cleaning process Percy only winced and mildly complained because it stung. (“What did you expect, Percy? It's a cut.”) There were five of them - the ones from the thumb and pinky were considerably shallower than the others.

  “I can get away with using liquid stitches. Two of them are more like the scrapes you used to get.”

  “Ah, my youth.” Percy sighed wistfully.

  “You're still young. You act like you're in your forties or something.” Will scoffed.

  “I know I'm young, but being an adult is a pain. I can still reminisce about my teen years from not so long ago.”

  “Fair enough. Can you see the cuts if you turn your head?” Will asked.

  Percy craned his head and turned his arm, examining the clean edges. “Yeah. Not as bad as I thought they were. In such close proximity, I would've assumed he'd do more damage. Felt like it, seeing as how sharp his claws are. Why?”

  “Yes, I know. It is rather odd that he didn't go deeper. Maybe he only meant to give us a scare.” Will took out the tube, holding it up. “Because I'm going to push the edges together and you're going to squeeze a thin line over the wound to seal it. Be careful you don't get it in the cut itself, okay?”

  Percy made a noise of agreement, taking the tube and doing as instructed; it didn't take long to seal up three of them, the clear coat taking about a minute to set for each line.

  “Don't get them too wet. I'd wait until later to shower.” Will snapped off his gloves.

  “All right. I'll go back with you and keep an eye on him if he lets you look him over, and hopefully he does and it goes smoothly. I’ll swing by Reyna’s on my way to work.”

  “You close?”

  “Nah,” Percy stood up. “I get off around seven.”

  Will put away his supplies, standing up when Mrs. O'Leary jumped down from his bed. “Let's go see if he'll be a little more cooperative now.”

  When they got back into the bathroom, brown eyes swung their way immediately, watching them with caution and remorse. The closer they got the lower the merman retreated into the water, and then he thought better of it, and stayed in sight, fins quivering when he spotted the dog. One hand went up to cover the three fins on his left side as if he was protecting them from phantom teeth. 

  “Does he look apologetic to you?” He asked Percy.

  His friend looked him up and down. “Yes, but my arm still hurts from the last time he was deceptive.”

  Will leaned against the sink. “What’s your name?”

  “And why did you believe us so easily? I was expecting more of a fight.” Percy added. At the sharp look Will gave him, he continued, “Aren't you the least bit curious? He had his claws at your throat and it didn't take much for him to give you up when he could’ve used you as leverage. I sure as hell would not have given in so easily, nor would I have accepted that considering we kidnapped him. Mernapped? Would that be more appropriate?”

  “Mernapped? That’s one of your worries? And that's even if he knows how to speak. If he doesn't, we won't get anywhere with him, it'll be us playing charades.” Will said. Now he really was curious. Why not use him as a hostage to force them to take him back? It would've been a great pain, but it probably could've been done. 

  Both of them turned to look when they heard a series of trills, chirps, and clicks. He regarded them from a bit over the rim of the tub now, gesturing with his hands.

  “Yeah, I don't have a dictionary to translate that,” Percy said, scratching the back of his neck.

  The merman frowned, gripping the edge as he opened his mouth again, tongue sliding across sharp teeth. They were expecting more noises they couldn't translate, not the garbled, hoarse word that was unmistakably human: “Nico.”

  “That's your name?” Will asked.

  “What? All that noise for four letters? That seems kind of unnecessary.” Percy’s voice overlapped his own.

  Nico nodded, and then bared his teeth at Percy, fins flaring out again. “Not four letters. All that “noise” was my whole name.”

  Percy held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay.” The fins smoothed back down.

  Will said, “Don't worry, you'll get used to him eventually. He didn't mean anything by it. Why did you believe us without putting up much of a fight?”

  Nico made a vague motion to the water. “Merpeople can tell when someone lies. Vibrations in the water.”

  “Percy wasn't in the water.” Will said.

  “You judged it based on Will corroborating my story, didn't you?” Percy asked. 

  “I did.” Nico shifted in the water. “I am sorry I hurt you both.”

  “You're sorry?” Percy sounded incredulous. “I'm lucky you didn't do more damage. We both are.”

  “I  _ am  _ sorry. You look like one of the humans who captured me. Same eyes, hair, skin, voice pattern. He spoke of making enough money for a woman and her son. I thought you would hand me over to him.”

  “Your father is the reason we have a merman in our tub?” Will dragged a hand down his face.

  “No,  _ you're  _ the reason there's a merman in our tub. My father is the reason he wound up on the beach. I’ve never met him and Mom wants nothing to do with him anymore. Wait, if he captured you, how did you wind up on the beach?”

  “I was playing with my companion when I saw a net coming from a boat that harboured a few dozen fishermen. I got caught in it after shoving my companion away. When they brought me up to the surface I fought as much as I could and was able to free myself from the net, but they chased me to your beach, using weapons against me until they got their hands on me. Because I incapacitated some of them they thought it was too dangerous to bring me on board again and they knocked me unconscious.” Nico’s hand went to the back of his head for a moment. “Your beach is the last thing I remember before waking up here.”

  “What’d they hit you with?” Percy asked.

  Nico shrugged. “I was swimming away when everything went dark. They must have thrown something at me in hopes it would work.”

  “Your companion wouldn't happen to be a weird horse-thing, would it? That's what drew my attention to the rocks they stashed you in. We thought whoever put you there wanted you to be too weak to fight when they came back for you.”

  “She's a hippocampus, not a weird horse-thing.” Nico huffed at him, then his eyes went wide and panicked. “No one captured or saw her, did they?”

  “Not that I'm aware of,” Will said. “It didn't seem like anyone was around when I went to go look. She was making quite the fuss in the water with all her pacing, but I made sure to check my surroundings. I'm not sure where she is right now; she saw me atop the rocks and booked it in the opposite direction.”

  “I'll keep an eye on the news to make sure no one's found your friend, Nico.” Percy promised. “I'll go down to the beach later on my break and see if she's hanging around. If she is I'll try to get her to stay away.”

  “Thank you.” Nico said. He looked sincere.

  “Now that that's out of the way, are you going to let me look you over? I'm sure you took a good hit to the back of your head. I mean, you don't seem to be concussed, but I'd like to take a look anyway. If you don't want me to look you over then we can just make you as comfortable as possible. We have a friend who has better accommodations, so hopefully you won't be stuck in this tub for too long and it’ll be easier for you to heal and stretch.”

  “Do merpeople get cramps?” Percy mused.

  “I don't mind if you do. Guess I kind of owe it to you.” Nico said. “We get cramps in our tails just as you humans do with your legs. There's really not much of a difference.”

  “Good to know.” Percy eyed Nico warily. “I'm only letting Will get closer if you promise that you're not gonna try something that we aren't going to like. I will not hesitate to set my dog on you again.”

  “I promise I won't.” Nico rolled as best as he could in the water, fins quivering.

  “Satisfied?” Will asked Percy.

  “Not entirely, but I'm keeping a close eye on him.” He said.

  “I'd expect nothing less, man.” Will smiled, snapping on a new set of gloves.

  Will helped him up onto the  ledge of the tub. Nico dutifully did whatever it was that Will asked of him whether it was to sit still, shift, or lift an arm and he didn't move too fast under the watchful eyes of Will’s roommate (who actually looked over occasionally while he cleaned up the floor) and dog; both of them moved closer just in case something happened.  A nasty bump lay near the base of Nico’s skull, a tiny scab there from where he'd bled. Next up was checking out the other bruises he had littering his pale skin. Over his ribs, arms, a shoulder, and a few near what would be his hips if he had proper human anatomy. All were equally mottled bruises.

  “I'm sorry,” Will set a hand down on a bruise above his gills, making the merman wince. “I'm checking to make sure you don't have anything broken. It doesn’t hurt to breathe in deeply or to move your upper torso? If not, then that's a good thing because those types of breaks take weeks to heal and your movement would be severely limited for at least two.”

  “No, there's no pain. I believe some might have been broken earlier, but that's no cause for concern since I heal quicker than your average human.” Nico said through gritted teeth, pain lighting up his eyes.

  “Fascinating,” Will murmured. “If they were broken, they aren't now. With no one knowing how long you’d been on the beach for, it's completely possible you healed while you'd been knocked out.” Will chewed his lip, inspecting the cuts. “Oi, some of these are pretty deep and require sutures, but I don't have those types of tools with me to use and you can't get liquid stitches wet . . . I mean, I guess we could -” Will blinked a few times, not quite comprehending what he was seeing.

  “I told you,” Nico said. “I heal quicker than your average human.”

  “You did, but . . . Is this normal? You shouldn't be healing this fast.” 

  “You do remember we know next to nothing about merpeople, right?” Percy came over to investigate, curiosity getting the best of him. His eyes widened comically. “Holy . . . That isn't normal.”

  “I'm not normal. Not by your standards,” Nico reminded them.

  Before their very eyes layers of muscle stitched back together as if the mess had never been there in the first place, defying what Will had been taught by his father. All of the ones that were mending themselves stopped at a certain point to leave cuts that might have still been cause for concern, except Nico looked rather pleased and unconcerned. A dusty film had started to coat his tail, muddying up the beautiful colours, starting with the fragmented scales and exposed skin patches below. The only thing that hadn't really changed was the pink on his side.

  “Are you doing that?” Percy leaned in for a better look.

  Nico nodded. “If an injury is severe enough I can choose to speed up the process by delaying others so I'm no longer in peril.”

  “Could we have just . . .” Percy circulated his arms in a rolling motion. “Rolled him back into the ocean since he could do that?” 

  Will groaned. “Really, Percy?” 

  “Are you sure that you get used to him?” Nico asked, looking amused now.

  “More or less you do.” Will tipped Nico’s head to the side, examining his gills. “Looks like the seawater we added to the bath helped a lot more than I thought. Your com -”

  “I wore half of it lowering you in.” Percy interjected.

  Will shot him a look. “He did. As I was saying, your complexion is pinker than it was when we brought you in. Percy, how do his gills look to you?”

  Percy leaned around the side to look at them. “Let's see . . . It looks like they're clear - no obstruction. You didn't have issues in the water, did you? No shortness of breath, unable to pull in as much as usual?” Nico shook his head. “They don't look as aggravated as before. I feel like I should warn you that we had to drive you here in the back of Will’s car and we had to resort to spritzing your gills until we got you here. Your breathing was shallow, but even.”

  “But you kept them wet?” Nico asked.

  “Face, too. Will thought it was a good idea. I went with it and paid attention to your broken scales in particular.” Percy was looking over his other gills, watching them flutter delicately each time Nico breathed shallowly, occasionally flicking water over his gills.  “I wouldn't have, you know, just rolled you back into the ocean, just so we're clear on that.”

  Nico hummed. “Good to know.”

  Will moved down towards Nico’s tail to inspect the film on it. “Is there a way we can help your tail at all?”

  Nico moved his tail up and down, flicking the fluke at Will. “The coat will prevent bacteria from infecting whatever wounds are there. When the new scales push through, I'll shed.”

  “Like a snake?” Percy’s brows wrinkled.

  Nico nodded. “I'm not done growing, either. I still have a few more years or so to go.”

  “How old are you in human years?” Percy asked.

  “You make me sound like an alien,” Nico glared. “I'm twenty-one. In your human years and my merfolk years.”

  “Sorry, sorry. I don't mean to offend you,” Percy had the decency to look sheepish. For all of five seconds. “Hey, you aren't that old from us. I'm twenty-three. Will’s twenty.”

  “I thought as much.” Nico said. He pointed to the window above their tub and said, “Is there anyway that can be covered?”

  Will looked up, pulled from his examinations of Nico’s tail. “Hmm? Oh, the window. We don't have any curtains to cover it . . . How bad will sunlight be for you? We have sunscreen around here somewhere.”

  “It won't do any good. It has to be covered or I'll need to be moved.” Nico said.

  Percy snapped his fingers. “I'll be right back.” He jogged out of the room. Mrs. O’Leary laid down on the floor.

  Will shrugged at the curious look from the merman. “I might room with him, but that doesn't mean I understand everything about him. Believe me, as many times as I've needed to patch him up it's a miracle he doesn't have a permanent bed in the hospital.”

  “Does he get injured frequently?”

  “Depends on him and the day. Sometimes I'll come home to find him with an ice pack on his ribs or his face, knuckles a bruised mess. He tells me he was defending a lady, got into it with a bully, or got jumped in an alley; he refuses to take my car even though it'd be safer. I wouldn't mind taking the bike because the route I take is safer than his, but  _ nooo _ he has to be stubborn.” Will took off his gloves. “Nothing compared to how often he used to be bruised when he was younger. It used to be bad for reasons I won't get into right now.”

  “Do you believe him when he tells you the reasons for his injuries?” Nico slid back down into the water with a sigh. “Why?” He'd asked when Will nodded.

  “Because that sounds just like the Percy I've known for years.”

  “Now we have a curtain!” Percy came back toting a blanket, one hand carefully clutching push pins, which he handed to Will with a “Hold those for a moment.”

  “Where did you even get these?” Will thought the pins looked familiar.

  “I took down one of your posters and stole a small blanket.” Percy said nonchalantly, taking a tack and pinning up a corner.

  “Which one? Most of those I need up.” Will had a bunch of posters relating to medicine up in his room - it made them easier to remember when they were literally staring at him in the face.

  “Dunno. Didn't really look. One of your boring ones. Diseases or something. What was the one hanging on the wall by your dresser?”

  Will sighed. “That was my anatomy one, Percy. The one for diseases is above my head board.”

  Percy pinned the last tack up. “Ugh, why? I wouldn't want to look up and see a list of diseases staring at me.”

  “If I can't judge you for having some posters of Disney princesses on your wall you can't judge me for my medical crap. Speaking of, you have push pins in your room. Why didn’t you take one of yours down?”

  Percy looked highly affronted at this. “They're gifts! I can't say no to a toddler. And your bedroom was closer.”

  “Thank you for not letting me burn.” Nico was smiling as he watched them.

  Will had a sudden question. Well, two. “Have you ever been on land before this?”

  “No.” Nico's smile faltered. “And quite frankly I'm not enjoying it right now.”

  “I wouldn't either,” Percy admitted.

  “You aren't surprised by anything. You know the names of things and you understand what others are, like a car. I'm sure you do, since you haven't asked about it or what anything else is.”

  “We did not always need to cower from your kind. We could go to your shores, sun ourselves, swap stories,” Nico said. “Years ago - before you people decided to harvest us for our looks - we were revered as sacred beings. No one harmed us. Things were shared with us because humans thought it couldn't hurt if we knew something about a world we couldn't live in.”

  Percy looked at Will and leaned forward. “We hear things about merfolk dragging people to the bottom of the ocean, or driven to you guys because you can sing.”

  “Let's not forget about the pirates,” Will added. “Or the fact that Dwellers are always pale.”

  “Codswallop,” Nico spat. “Some of us may be able to sing very well, and while that entranced a great many, we never lured anyone to their deaths. If anyone ever got dragged to the bottom of the ocean it was because they asked for it not because of bloodthirsty merfolk. There aren't many of those!” 

  “What about the pirates?” Percy asked.

  Nico scoffed. “Pirates were hunted across an expanse of something they held no control over, and thus prayed for help from any who could help with the promise of gold, among other things; merfolk have a tendency to like shiny things, so gold and jewels had us hooked merely because they're pretty. Merfolk aided them, guiding them to safe islands and luring away those who deigned to kill them because of their lives. Of course not all of those pirates were helped if they were terrible people - they were left to be at the mercy of those who came for them.” Nico pointed an accusing finger at them. “And we aren't called Dwellers!”

  “Then what are deep-sea dwelling merfolk called?” Percy asked.

  “Merfolk,” Nico said flatly.

  “So there's no distinction between merfolk.” Will said.

  “No, of course not. Why would there be?” Nico asked. “Just for the record, we aren't always pale. Most of us, yes, but not all of us. There are merfolk that live even closer to the bottom of the ocean’s floor. They are a different story entirely.”

  “Really? How would we be able to tell if they dwelled further down?” Percy looked unusually excited. Will was pretty sure he was filing away information.

  “You wouldn't.” Nico said.

  “Why is that?” Will asked.

  “Because you wouldn't live to tell about them,” Nico smiled, slow and predatory. “You think whales are big?” Nico laughed. “You've got no idea what you'd be dealing with.”

  Will felt a cold chill creep down his spine, like death had breathed down his neck. If there were merfolk even bigger than whales down where no one had been able to explore, what would they look like? Would the sun cause them more harm? Would they even look anything remotely human?

  “I'll stay on land.” Percy decided, swallowing roughly.

  “I'm not sure I want to meet anything with an eye bigger than me.” Will added.

  Nico chuckled. “Wise choice.” He yawned, wide and long, and Will was suddenly thankful he hadn't been bitten. “Can I go back to sleep?”

  Percy glanced at the sunlight filtering in weakly through the cracks at the sides of the blanket. “We should probably get going. I have to go to work soon. Need to borrow the neighbour’s bathroom to boot, so I might be back to gather my things. If I'm quiet I won't have to worry about you shish kabobbing me, do I?”

  “Now that I know you, no. I won't tear you to ribbons.” Nico promised.

  “I don't need to leave for a few more hours, so I'll try to catch some more sleep; I'll check on you before I leave, Nico.” Will offered his hand to the now-drowsy creature. He looked at the hand before lifting his up hesitantly, giving a firm shake. 

  Percy offered his own hand. “Do you want something to eat before we leave? I think we have steak in the fridge.”

  Nico shook Percy’s hand, looking vaguely shell-shocked. “Not right now, but I'll take you up on that offer later, if that's okay?”

  “Of course.” Will smiled. “Percy will get home about a half hour before I do.”

  Nico yawned again. “Okay.”

  “See ya.” Percy waved, walking out the door with Mrs. O’Leary trotting after him, sticking his entire hand in her mouth. He gave her an exasperated, but fond look and allowed her to do it, prodding at her snout with his free hand.

  Will wasn't even out the door when Nico fell asleep, head dropping beneath the water. Cracking the door behind him, he turned around to spot Percy staring at him.

  “What?” 

  Percy broke into a grin. “This is exciting, isn't it?”

  “Didn't you just tell me that this is the most dangerous thing I could've asked for?”

  “Still is, but that doesn't make it any less exciting, does it?” Percy arched his brows.

  “What exactly do you find exciting about this entire thing?” Will leaned back against the doorframe.

  “The learning aspect of -”

  “You're lucky I can get you up so you don't miss your classes.” Will interrupted.

  “I can't help it that I like sleep and hate getting up early most days. That’s beside the point. My point is: I learned more about merfolk in the last hour or whatever from Nico than I have during brief, boring lectures that put me to sleep. It's all the same recycled garbage that everyone's heard since they were toddlers and able to comprehend what we were being spoon-fed anyway.” Percy gripped his upper arms, voice higher than usual. “I know that I can't say anything outright because it'll only get us into trouble, I know that, but I'm studying to be a marine biologist, so I can take as many notes as possible while he's here if he's okay with it. Maybe somewhere down the line people won't feel the need to hunt merfolk; we can coexist peacefully with them again.”

  Will looked down at the hands gripping his arms up into the fiery expression of his friend’s face. That same glint he typically saw when Percy stood up to a bully was there; the clench of his jaw. “You just want to help, is that it?”

  Percy nodded. “I've never - I've never really thought about it for obvious reasons. There aren't any merfolk to really talk to. But now? Being able to talk to one and  _ see  _ the lengths to which people will go just to get their hands on one . . .” Percy trailed off, closing his eyes and giving a head to toe shudder. For one, he was thinking about the father he never knew, the one that had left before he was born to go back to the wife he had, leaving his pregnant mistress behind to fend for herself. Who then, years later, had the nerve to try to capture a merman in order to get back in the good graces of the woman and child he'd left behind.

  “I know, I understand. Let's do what we can.” Will got a nod before Percy wandered off finally, heading to his bedroom.

  Sagging against the doorframe, Will couldn't help the sigh that escaped him while trying to ignore the shame he felt. All this time having known merfolk were real, being hunted, and Will never once thought about trying to help them, too wrapped up in his own life. They would occasionally pop up on the news that Will never watched. Percy was the one who did. It was a lie, when Percy told him he’d never really thought about it before - it was in his tone of voice, that helplessness he hated because he felt that there was nothing he could do. His friend would just be another voice among many that went unheard when it came to certain things people just didn't want to prioritize. Why prioritize helping a species when what you got from them was viewed as priceless than what you'd get if something was set in place?

  Percy had been absolutely right about one thing: They'd learned more about them in the span of an hour. There was no distinction of merfolk other than their colouring; a rare few were bloodthirsty; they aided pirates and conversed a lot with humans; they  _ shed _ for crying out loud; being able to choose which wounds to heal by delaying the process of others so they weren't in danger; some could actually sing. The list went on. Later on, they'd come back, feed him, and check him over again. They'd find a way to allow him to have more room while he healed if Reyna told them no. Will was not above buying a sizable kiddie pool and setting it somewhere in their apartment if it meant that Nico wouldn't be in more pain while he healed.

  And that was when it suddenly hit Will full force; there would be something interfering with his usual schedule. But then he thought,  _ Maybe that’s okay. _

  Maybe it was time his strict schedule had a chink in it somewhere. Will could have someone else to worry about instead of the usual flurry of people he dealt with.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! So this is a gift for wherethewarswerent - I participated in a PJO Secret Santa thing. I want to thank both basic-volk and tacticalghoul for betaing this for me (find them on Tumblr).  
> I posted this on mobile, so I can't add all the tags I want, unfortunately . . .  
> Don't forget to leave a comment! (I'd love to hear what you liked/weren't expecting/questions.)  
> I do not lay claim to any of these characters - just the plot.


End file.
